Clutch and brake mechanism



Feb 24, 1942- D. FlscHBElN 2' 2,273,947

CLUTCH AND BRAKE MECHANISM Filed OC. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 24,4 1942. D. FISCHBEIN 2,273,947

' CLUTCH AND BRAKE MEGHANISM ,Filed Oct. 5, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 power sewing machine.

Patented Feb. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,273,947 M t CLUTCH AND BRAKE MECHANrsM David Fischbein, Minneapolis, Minn. Application October 5, 1939, Serial No. 298,065

1 Claim.

My present invention relates to clutch and brake mechanism intended for general use, but especially well-adapted and intended for use in connection with driving connections from an electric motor and, more particularly, with the driving connections for a power sewing machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a friction cl-utch assembly in which the driven and driving members thereof are self-aligning.

A further object of the invention is to provide `a clutch assembly that is applicable to the armature shaft of an electric motor and, when applied thereto, is self-aligning therewith.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bearing and brake assembly having a bracket for attaching `the same to a support independent of the motor and clutch assembly.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description had in connection with the accompanying drawings.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and vdefined in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrat the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a right end elevation of a power sewing machine having the invention embodied therein; i

Fig. 2l is a fragmentary view in front elevation Yof the invention as shown in Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views principally in face elevation with some parts sectioned on the irregular lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 2, respectively;

Fig. 5 is a View principally in section taken centrally through the clutch assemblyfas shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section taken on the irregular line 6-6 of Fig. 2,

The invention, as shown, is embodied in the driving connections Vfrom an electric motor to a The sewing machine proper is indicated, as an entirety, by the numeral 1 with the exception of the vdriven V-pulley l 8 mounted on and axially aligned with a handwheelA 9. Said sewing machine 'I is mounted on a motor stand including a table I and a .pair of leg brackets II, only one of which is shown. A foot treadle I2 is mounted on the leg brackets II. An electric motor, for operating the sewing machine l, is mounted in a bracket I3, Secured to the under side of the table lo, and holds said motor suspended therefrom at the back thereof. This electric motor is indicated, as an entirety, by the numeral I4 with the exception of its armature shaft I5,-

The parts thus far described are of standard and well-known construction. i

My invention now referred to in detail includes a clutch assembly I6 and a bearing and brake assembly I'I having a bracket I8 for attaching the same to Vthe table ID. The clutch assembly I includes a driving disk I`9 and a co-operating driven disk 2Q, the former of which has formed therewith a long hub 2| telescoped onto the armature shaft I5 and thereby self-aligned therewith. This hub 2l projects only a short distance from the outer face of the disk I9 and is secured to the armature shaft I5 by a plurality of set screws 2 2 having screw-threaded engagementv therewith. These set screws 22 rigidly secure the disk I9 to the armature shaft I5 but permit axial adjustment of the same thereon and permit the removal of said disk'therefrom.

The disk 210 is also provided with a long hub 23 which projects from each face thereof and has secured therein a 'bearing 24 telescoped onto the long or outer end portion of the hub 2l and self-aligns the disk 2D with the disk I9, see Fig. 5. The bearing 24 supports the disk 20 on the hub .ZI with freedom for both axial and rotary movements. [A ring of leather or other fric- .tional material 25 is secured to the inner face of the disk `2|! to drive the disk 20 from the disk I9. Formed-with the disk 2D on its outer face is a V-pulley 26 aligned with the pulley 8. 'A belt 2l runs over the two pulleys 8 and 26 and drives the sewing machine 'I from the motor I4. Mounted in the outer end of the hub 23 is a cone bearing 28. ,Y

The bearing and brake assembly Il' includes a bell-crank 29 which extends in a vertical plane, and its arms are designated by the numerals 30 and 3|. This bell-crank 29, at its elbow, loosely extends between a pair of laterally spaced bearing ears 32, on the lower end of the bracket I8, and is secured thereto by a pivot 33.' As shown, this pivot 33 comprises a pair of opposing screws having screw-threaded engagement with the ears 32. These screws have conicalv inner ends mounted in correspondingly formed seats in the hub of the bell-crank 29. The bell-crank arm 3l] is relatively short and extends upright from the pivot 33 at the right of the clutch assembly I6. A short heavy screw 34 extends transversely through the arm 30 at the outer end portion thereof, in axial alignment with the clutch assembly I6, and has threaded engagement with said arm. In the left-hand end of the screw 34 is a concave seat 35 in which the cone bearing 28 is mounted. The bell-crank arm 3| is relatively long and extends horizontally under the clutch assembly I`6 and the motor I4.

A brake shoe 36 is removably mounted in a recessed seat 31 in a transverse lug 38 formed with the bell-crank arm 3| and bears circumferentially on the periphery of the disk 20 at the center and under side thereof. (See Figs. 2 and 4.) Normally, the bell-crank 29 is yieldingly held with the brake shoe 36 pressed against the disk 30 by a coiled spring 39. One end portion of the spring 39 is mounted in a recessed seat 4I] in bell-crank arm 3| below the pivot 33 and forward thereof. The other end of the spring 39 is mounted on an adjustable spring base 4I This spring base 4I is a head-screw which extends `transversely through a depending lug 42 on the lower end of the bracket I8, between the ears 32, and has screw-threaded engagement therewith. A lock nut 43 on the screw 4| holds the spring base 4I where adjusted. Obviously, by adjusting the spring base 4I in the lug 42, the tension of the spring 39 may be Varied, at Will, to increase or decrease the pressure of the brake shoe 36 on the disk 20.

The periphery of the driven member 2II is inwardly and transversely beveled toward the driving member I9, whereby when the brake shoe 36 is pressed against said periphery, it will cam said driven member axially away from the driving member I9 and at the same time stop the rotation thereof.

Normally the bell-crank arm 39 is yieldingly held moved away from the clutch assembly I6, thereby releasing the pressure of the friction member 25 on the disk I9. The bracket I8 has on its upper end a base 44 which bears on the under side of the table I and is detachably secured thereto by four wood screws 45 which extend through long slots 46 in said base. The slots 46 are arranged to permit the bracket I8 and hence the bearing and brake assembly I'I to be adjusted toward or from the clutch assembly I6.

The foot treadle I2 is employedto release the brake shoe 36 and move the disk 20 axially toward the disk I9 to bring its friction member 25 into contact with the disk I9 and thereby operate the sewing machine from the electric motor I4 by means of the driving connections heretofore described.

The foot treadle I2 is connected to the long arm 3| of the bell-crank 29 by means of a twopart connecting rod 4l, the sections of which are overlapped and adjustably connected by a clamping collar 48. To connect the rod 41 to the long arm 3|, the upper end portion of its upper section is bent laterally, inserted loosely through a hole in the free end of the long arm 3|, and held in place by a Cotter pin or other means, not shown. Said connecting rod 4l is loosely and adjustably connected to the treadle I2 by loosely inserting the same through an aperture therein. Applied to the connecting rod 47, above the treadle I2, is a stop collar` 49. A spring I), encircling said rod below the treadle I2, is compressed between said treadle and a washer and nut 5I applied to said rod.

The screw 34 on the inner end of which the cone bearing 28 is seated, at 35, may be adjusted toward or from the clutch assembly I6 by means of a screw-driver inserted through a transverse-hole 52 in the bracket I8.

From the above description, it is evident that the two disks I9 and 20, the hubs 2| and 23 of which are telescoped the one upon the other, are self-aligning. It is also evident that at the time the clutch assembly I6 is telescoped onto the armature shaft I5 of the motor I4, said assembly is self-aligned with said shaft. The set screws 22 permit the clutch assembly I6 to be axially adjusted on the armature shaft I5 to lalign the pulley 26 with the pulley 8.

The bearing and brake assembly I'I and the bracket I8 are a self-contained unit that is entirely separate from the motor I4 and the clutch assembly I6. Before this self-contained unit is secured to the table III, by means of the bracket IS, the spring base 4I is retracted to permit the long arm 3| of the bell-crank 29 to swing downwardly and thereby afford considerable working clearance between the brake shoe 36 and the disk 26. At this same time, the screw 34 is also retracted. When securing the bracket I8 to the table I0, the long slots 46, through which the attaching screws 45 extend, permit said bracket to be adjusted toward or from the clutch assembly I6.

After the bracket I3 has been secured to the table I0, the spring base 4I is adjusted to compress the spring 39 and thereby lift the long arm 3| of the bell-crank 29 and yieldingly press the brake shoe 36 against the periphery of the disk20. The tension of the spring 39 may be varied, at will, to suit the operator of the sewing machine. Next the screw 34 is adjusted to leave a .sufficient working clearance between the friction member 25 and the disk I9 to prevent the disk 20 from being driven by the disk I9 when the brake shoe 36 is set.

To operate the sewing machine I from the motor I4, it is only necessary for the operator to move the treadle I2 in a direction to produce a slight downward pull on the connecting rod 4l. This downward pull on the connecting red 4l' will rock the bell-crank 29 against the tension of the spring 39, release the brake shoe 36 and move the disk 2U axially toward the disk I9 to press its friction member 25 against the disk I9 and complete the driving connections from the motor I4 to the sewing machine To stop the sewing machine 1, it is only necessary for the operator to release the downward pressure onthe treadle I2 vand permit the compressed spring 39 to rock the bell-crank 29 and thereby move the brake shoe 36 into engagement with the disk 26. This same movement of the bell-crank 29 will remove the pressure of the screw 34 on the bearing 23 and permit the disk 26 and its friction member 25 to move axially away from the disk I9.

. li'romthe above description, it is evident that the above described mechanism may be quickly and easily applied to a sewing machine and at thel same time the parts thereof are accurately aligned and positioned.

lThe drawings illustrate a commercial form of the invention, but it will be understood that the same is capable of certain modifications as to details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts within the scope of the invention herein disclosed.

WhatI claim is:

The combination with a support and an electric motor mounted on the under side thereof, of a clutch assembly removably mounted on the armature shaft of the motor as a self-contained unit, said assembly including cooperating driving and driven friction members journaled, the latter on the former, with freedom for relative compound axial and rotary movements, said members being self-aligning with each other, a

pulley on the driven member, and a second self-k contained unit for setting the clutch and for braking the same,'said second unit comprising a depending bracket entirely separate and independent of the motor and its mounting, said bracket having at its lower end a pair of laterally spaced bearing ears, a bell-crank, means connecting the bell-crank at its elbow to and between the bearing ears for adjustment in a horizontal plane in a direction transverse the longitudinal axis of said motor armature shaft and for pivotal movement in a vertical plane with one of its arms in an upright position outwardly of said armature shaft and with its other arm horizontally disposed and extending transversely under the clutch assembly, an adjusting screw having threaded engagement with the upright arm of the bell-crank, axially aligned With the clutch assembly and loosely engaging a part on the driven member for setting the clutch when pressed into engagement with the driven member, a brake shoe on the horizontally disposed arm of the bell-crank and arranged to engage the periphery of the driven member as a braking surface, said bracket having a depending lug below its bearing ears, the horizontally disposed arm of the bell-crank having a shoulder in opposing relation to said lug and horizontally spaced therefrom, a coiled spring compressed between the lug and the shoulder and normally holding the bell-crank with the brake shoe set and the clutch released, movable means carried by said lug constituting a seat for one end of said spring, means to move said seat to adjust DAVID FISCHBEIN. 

